Ronnie Hillman to Chargers: Latest Contract Details, Comments, Reaction

The San Diego Chargers announced Tuesday that they claimed running back Ronnie Hillman off waivers a day after he was let go by the Minnesota Vikings. 

The Chargers have been thin at running back ever since Danny Woodhead was declared out for the season with a torn ACL, and adding Hillman to the mix should give them some peace of mind if sophomore sensation Melvin Gordon gets dinged up down the stretch. 

The 25-year-old didn't see a high usage rate (93 total yards on 22 touches) in Minnesota with Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata ahead of him on the depth chart, but he was rather impressive throughout the 2015 season. 

Season	Games	Rush Yds	Rush TD	Rec. Yds	Rec. TD
2012	14	327	1	62	0
2013	10	218	1	119	0
2014	8	434	3	139	1
2015	16	863	7	111	0
2016	5	50	0	43	0

Hillman started 11 games and rushed for career highs of 863 yards and seven touchdowns as a member of the Super Bowl-champion Denver Broncos. He also set a new personal best by ripping off 4.2 yards per carry as a speedier complement to C.J. Anderson in Denver's backfield. 

As Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said, per the Pioneer Press' Chad Graff: "He’s a different type of back, and he’s got some speed to the perimeter."

Rookie Kenneth Farrow has been operating as Gordon's primary backup since Dexter McCluster was diagnosed with a forearm injury, and he should maintain a stranglehold on that role considering he has more experience in the Chargers' scheme. 

But with Hillman aboard, head coach Mike McCoy can embrace a slightly more regular three-back rotation that scales back Gordon's workload just a bit. To date, Gordon has toted the rock 217 times. That ranks second only to the Dallas Cowboys' Ezekiel Elliott. 

Gordon should remain the undisputed No. 1 back in San Diego's backfield moving forward, but Hillman should be able to take some pressure off the former Wisconsin Badgers standout when necessary.